My Writing Process

So to expand on something mentioned in comments. Here’s my (oh so fascinating I know) current writing process in all its fledgling glory…

I write something, it's a scene, but I frequently don’t yet know, what for, or where in the story (if it even is this story) it belongs. I don't seem to be able to write my story in sequence. I write scenes as they come to me. It’s a barebones scene, in a frantic attempt to get it down before it’s gone. And it's almost more like I'm writing the heart of the scene, anything that I consider, I dunno not extraneous, but not to be the heart of the scene, the meat of it, rarely gets down/out in that first rush of words. Things like description, setting (physical setting, i.e. where they are) get left out. I skimp like hell on descriptions. And given that they feel like one of my weakest areas, I have to make a very concentrated effort to go back later and start adding in sight, sounds, touch etc. So I write scenes, as many as hit me, if multiple ones hit me at once I try to make quick notes that will jog my memory on the others, pick one and run with it. Somewhere down the road I go back to fill them in. I do this several times till I have an actual scene with plot and descriptions and pacing and a point to it, though I’ll likely still have no bloody clue where in the story it goes. Sometimes I don't even know why I'm writing them, but I've learned to trust it because, even if I have to make huge changes later, some part (or the whole thing, it really just depends) belongs somewhere in that story. Ok usually, sometimes it belongs in a different story.

Later when I've got so much written down that it seems like I'll never be able to organize it and it towers above me like a gigantic, virtual, paper monstrosity, I brace myself and start to try and assemble all these seemingly disparate pieces into some sort of cohesive whole. Try to untangle the massive spaghetti style throw down of words I’ve disgorged.

That's when I start to realize that my brain actually knows far more about what it was doing than I give it credit for. Pieces I couldn't begin to place will start dropping into the puzzle and, duhhh, of course it should go there. That links this up with that and lets blah happen down the road. Ooooh! I get it! Then I marvel at how cool my subconscious is and pat myself on the back, something I don't do nearly enough of.

I really wish I could add all the details in right from the beginning, but pre/first draft writing is usually a frantic thing as I attempt to get everything down before it's gone from my head. Even if it does play hell with organization and such. There’s a Flow that comes with it. Time ceases to matter, I can ignore things like food and the need to pee. I’m just thoroughly enthralled with the writing and loving it on a level I’m not even conscious enough to take stock of until after. Thoroughly engaged. God it’s grand.

I have a sneaky suspicion I'll dislike intensely revising for final drafts. On the one hand, a blank page is horrifying and intimidating. On the other hand I’m trying to balance between adding in relevant description and all the extra bits I left out while not losing the flow and momentum of something I’ve previously written.

Ok enough brain spitting, back to character write-ups for my course. Currently these are second and tertiary characters, but who knows! Anything can happen! Cheryl was only supposed to be a mentioned thing and now she’s got a back story to rival Gwen’s! I am not making a story for her. Not a novel anyways. Maybe some sort of short story for the two of them…but not right now. Must finish at least one writing project I start.